SIUE invites public to Discover the Gardens Day

SIUE’s 2014 Discover the Gardens Day is open to the university community, students and the public. Complimentary refreshments will be available throughout the afternoon while supplies last.

EDWARDSVILLE — SIUE’s 2014 Discover the Gardens Day will be held from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, in The Gardens at SIUE.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Tree Top pedestrian bridge will jump-start the event. The new bridge connects the brand new ecologically friendly parking lot to The Gardens attractions. This event is open to the university community, students and the public. Complimentary refreshments will be available throughout the afternoon while supplies last.

Guests will be greeted by members of student organizations, including the SIUE Natural Connections organization, which promotes homegrown sustainability in the family garden. Master Gardeners will explain plantings and features, such as the new Monarch Way Butterfly Garden and Prairie Portal, while art students are available to assist with pumpkin decorating and face painting for children. Volunteers will be on hand to help aspiring young naturalists make ecologically friendly bird feeders. The SIUE Pep Band and Steel Drum Band will provide musical entertainment during the event.

The Gardens at SIUE comprises woodlands, a pond, grasslands and an arboretum on a 35-acre site. The Gardens is a living laboratory dedicated to supporting the educational and research mission of the university. Environmental sustainability, conservation and stewardship are cornerstones of The Gardens’ vision, providing a unique opportunity to research, implement and demonstrate innovative green technologies. Gardens, facilities and amenities feature renewable, recycled and sustainability-produced materials.